“I’m going to get criticized for this, but sometimes you expect your child to commit a crime so you don’t have to worry about where they’re going to sleep tonight and they have a place to go. ,” St. Louis assistant Benjamin Stromberg said. Lewis County Attorney. The office handles child protection and juvenile delinquency cases. “Nobody wants these kids in detention, we all understand that. But sometimes it’s the only place they can’t hurt anyone and they can’t hurt themselves. .”
Residential facilities have long waiting lists and often refuse to admit children who cannot address certain issues, such as sexually aggressive behavior or substance use disorders.
The psychiatric residential treatment facility, known as PRTF, accepts children with severe aggression who are on the verge of hospitalization and pose a safety risk to themselves and others. This year, 281 children were referred to four similar facilities across the state, but only 66 were admitted, according to Department of Human Services (DHS) data.
The facility is licensed to take in 150 children, but as of June, it had only admitted 85, according to AspireMN, an association of treatment providers. PRTF leaders say staffing issues have prevented them from taking in more children, and while they want to take in as many children as possible, they need to make sure they have the right children. .
“Can they manage (the child’s) behavior to fit the culture, the staff, and the kids?” said Larry Pajari, CEO of Northwood Children’s Services, which operates PRTF. “No one wants to put other children who may be vulnerable at risk. So it’s a balancing act.”
In Hennepin County, the state’s most populous county, only 25 children have been admitted to psychiatric facilities since the first facility opened in 2018, said Neerja Singh, county child mental health area manager. He testified in court citing DHS data. Singh, a former deputy director of DHS’ behavioral health division, said children of color generally do not receive mental health services at the same rates as white youth.
